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Ten (more) random observations about Ethiopia
When writing last year's Ethiopia travel series, I collected twelve random observations about Ethiopia. These were interesting bits of information that didn't fit in any of my articles. While writing my Harar travel series, I collected ten more.
1. The standard traveler's money belt that hangs from your neck and is tucked under your shirt is very amusing to Ethiopians because Oromo women wear them. You'll often see them digging them out in the market to get change. The above photo shows them being made.
2. The banknotes smell spicy. This is because Ethiopians eat with their hands and then handle money in order to pay for their meal. A few years of this treatment makes Ethiopian money smell like a spice stall in the market. Crisp, odorless banknotes fresh from the bank don't seem real!
3. The currency is called birr, which means "silver." Before coins became common, people used more practical objects as currency, such as bullets and slabs of salt.
4. Ethiopians have a unique dance called the uuzkista in which you jiggle your shoulders back and forth. Check out the video to see how it's done.
5. I noticed that many crosses people wear are all the same bright green color. I wondered about this until one night I was walking down a dark street with an Ethiopian friend and noticed her cross was glowing in the dark. Soon I was seeing glowing Crucifixions everywhere.
6. Since most streets lack lighting, many cell phones come equipped with a mini flashlight.
7. To get a waiter's attention, snap your fingers or clap your hands. What's rude in one culture is normal in another. I saw a guy get kicked out of a restaurant in New York for doing this because in the West it's the ultimate in low-class boorishness. Here in Ethiopia it's completely acceptable, but it took me a long time before I could bring myself to clap at a waiter.
8. There's a shortage of postcards in Ethiopia. Ethiopians aren't in the habit of sending postcards and the fledgling tourism industry hasn't printed many. Some entrepreneurs have taken matters into their own hands. In Gondar a local photographer wanders around the castles selling images he's taken. It isn't a proper postcard, but the post office accepts them.
9. When Ethiopians shake hands, they bump each other's shoulder. If your hand is dirty because you've been eating, keep your hand closed and your arm straight down to signal that you can't shake hands. Instead the other person grabs the forearm and does the shoulder bump. If both people's hands are dirty, you touch forearms and still do the shoulder bump. Don't forget the shoulder bump!
10. Farmers often carry water in gourds. Now some entrepreneur has come up with the modern equivalent-plastic gourds in bright colors! Some fashionable farmers are carrying these instead of bothering to prepare their own natural gourds.
This wraps up my series Harar, Ethiopia: Two months in Africa's city of Saints. Thanks for joining me on my adventure through the Horn of Africa!
6. Since most streets lack lighting, many cell phones come equipped with a mini flashlight.
7. To get a waiter's attention, snap your fingers or clap your hands. What's rude in one culture is normal in another. I saw a guy get kicked out of a restaurant in New York for doing this because in the West it's the ultimate in low-class boorishness. Here in Ethiopia it's completely acceptable, but it took me a long time before I could bring myself to clap at a waiter.
8. There's a shortage of postcards in Ethiopia. Ethiopians aren't in the habit of sending postcards and the fledgling tourism industry hasn't printed many. Some entrepreneurs have taken matters into their own hands. In Gondar a local photographer wanders around the castles selling images he's taken. It isn't a proper postcard, but the post office accepts them.
9. When Ethiopians shake hands, they bump each other's shoulder. If your hand is dirty because you've been eating, keep your hand closed and your arm straight down to signal that you can't shake hands. Instead the other person grabs the forearm and does the shoulder bump. If both people's hands are dirty, you touch forearms and still do the shoulder bump. Don't forget the shoulder bump!
10. Farmers often carry water in gourds. Now some entrepreneur has come up with the modern equivalent-plastic gourds in bright colors! Some fashionable farmers are carrying these instead of bothering to prepare their own natural gourds.
This wraps up my series Harar, Ethiopia: Two months in Africa's city of Saints. Thanks for joining me on my adventure through the Horn of Africa!
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Africa, Ethiopia, Budget Travel
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Richard Apr 26th 2011 10:15AM
Sean
I have enjoyed your articles about Ethiopia, but then I like your entries about archaeological subjects and your hikes. Keep up the blogging.
Deep Ethiopian Apr 26th 2011 10:51AM
Hi!
Nice observations about us. Incidentally, did you know that that the word 'salary' came from 'sale' (pronounced sah-lay) which is Italian for salt? The word 'soldier' is from that era when roman soldiers were paid in salt; they were called 'saldare' meaning paid in salt.
Find out more interesting facts about Ethiopia and Ethiopians at:
http://deepethiopian.blogspot.com/2011/02/interesting-facts-about-ethiopia-trivia.html
One Love !!!
Aki Apr 26th 2011 12:09PM
Hi seen,
Thanks for your article!
I comment on your article number 2.
I don't think the banknotes smell because Ethiopians use their hands to eat and use them unwashed to oder the notes. The birr notes are more smelly in places where people have lots of butter produce from milk. It softens hair...and it is treated as natural hair butter better than any other ever produced hair product. The negetive side of it is it is smelly. I don't like it. The butter womens put on their hair stains their cloth, hand....then they mask it with different oils (perfumes) to reduce the smell. Some of the woman put their notes inside their brest. This ultimately result in smelly banknotes.
Please continue...in the future good observations!
Sean McLachlan Apr 27th 2011 10:07AM
Interesting! I do think the spices contribute a bit to the smell, though. I've smeared my share of banknotes while paying at a restaurant! In what regions do they use the butter?
Aki Apr 29th 2011 3:33PM
Ha ha ha....you tried? Does it smell as the ones you got earlier? In fact, like you, I was also wondering why it smells. The smell is directly related to the area. Like in Addis Ababa, unless the money circulated from butter area it doesn't smell. If you would like compare it Raya area, Awassa area, Haromaya..several areas I can mention. In cities also womans use butter don't forget. This is the main reason...not the food we eat by hand. Infact, if it was the smell of food, the smell won't be that bad.
Aki Apr 27th 2011 3:26PM
Ha ha ha....you tried? Does it smell as the ones you got earlier? In fact, like you, I was also wondering why it smells. The smell is directly related to the area. Like in Addis Ababa, unless the money circulated from butter area it doesn't smell. If you would like compare it Raya area, Awassa area, Haromaya..several areas I can mention. In cities also womans use butter don't forget. This is the main reason...not the food we eat by hand. Infact, if it was the smell of food, the smell won't be that bad.